Reconsideration denied for man convicted in murder of area priest

Lucas robbed, killed Mother Seton's Monsignor Wells of Germantown

A Montgomery County judge has denied a request to shorten the prison sentence of the man convicted of killing a Germantown priest during a botched robbery 10 years ago, according to a statement from the county State's Attorney's Office.

Reconsideration, a law unique to Maryland, allows judges to review and possibly reduce an inmate's sentence and has recently come under fire from victims' rights advocates who say the practice gives criminals a second chance at sentencing after the emotions of trial have passed.

Lucas, 35, was convicted of second-degree murder, first-degree burglary and robbery with a dangerous weapon in June 2001 in the stabbing death of Wells. Lucas, a homeless laborer who was living in a van in Clarksburg at the time and had struggled with substance abuse, broke into the church's rectory.

State's Attorney John J. McCarthy argued against reconsideration because "the nature of these offenses do not merit reconsideration" and "it would be cruel to put Monsignor Wells' family through an unnecessary hearing," according to the statement. During the trial, the defense had argued that Lucas broke into the rectory to clean up and stabbed Wells after the priest forced Lucas to perform oral sex on him, a story that was rejected by the jury.

"We thank Judge Mason for his consideration to the family," McCarthy said in the statement. "Monsignor Wells' loved ones will not have to relive the horror in a courtroom. This was a heinous crime, and we are pleased that the sentence will remain intact."